Door operator



Sept. 22, 1936. l w. c. EDWARDS DOOR OPERATOR Filed NOV. 19, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 a Edwardvmvemon Patented Sept. 22, 1936 r..

i `o1x1-ieri En fermes fos-F1 er.

l4 Claims.

-The invention relates to aiu-automatically opyerateddoor `Vand more especiallytoautomatic "-openingand closing' mechanism for Adoorsf'gates or tne'like. l

The fp'rirnary; object of theinvention is` the provision of'me'chanism of this character; where- =fin through the-use -of a treadV plateor'rail the -same will operateior the-automatic 'openingi a door, gate or the like and` subsequentto""such `opening the door, gate Yorl the like will close,

thereby eliminating thevmanual' handling 'f the door, gate or the like'for this purpose.

`Another#objectV of the invention "is: the provisionof mechanismA oflthis character, wherein assembly are novelso that theautomatic operathefassembly thereof andy the' parts' under such tinrof a door, gateor the like is 'as'suredwhen a l-vehiole' isfdriven'onto a tread plate; rail or other actuating medium, the Imechanism "bein'gap plicableto either slidingl or swinging doors,*gates -or the like.

' Affurther vobject of the invention is' the'provisi'on of mechanism'ofthis character, "wherein pressure from va load'and thelfreeing'ofms'u'h pressure eiects the automatic `operation "for copening and closing vof "adoon gate` 'or the like "andthe Jactuator for suchrnechanisrn constitutes an approach to'a way as'guarded'bysu'chrioon "gate or the like and manual handling lof'the'sz'ajme will beA avoided.

A further object of the invention' is the provision of' mechanism of this character, 'whicnis lcomparatively simple in construction," thoroughly reliable ancl Ae'fiicient in its operation, automatic 4in-'2'z.jc1 ;ion and inexpensive to manufacture l'and install.

' Withthese and other objectsiin"view,the`in "fvention' consists in the features vof construction,

*combination and arrangement of parts' a's`will` be *hereinafter more fully described, illustrated '"in "the'accompanying drawings, `which disclose, the

jpreferred'embodirnent ofthe invention and Ypoint- "edout inl the claims hereunto appended.

inthe-accompanying drawings: Figure li's an elevation of a doorway showing the mechanism constructed in accordance with (omas-40) Figures is sectional view on the line t-'tof `'Figur19isafyiewsirnilar to Figure lfsliowing a furtherir'idiiication of the invention.

Similar"grference-- characters *indicate correspending parts throughout:Y the several views in 'ftnefdra-wings. Y Y l Rferiiing: toi thefdrawin'gs l'in idcta'il. particular- 1vlyFi'gures 5 1 to'finclusive, A designates gener "520 'Maillyl` lidirig doorwhichis "of Conventional kind tand E is mounted in *anysuitable manner for its *sliding-"movement to close a'fdoorway or frame B. "*Ihisdoor "A`7i-sfV automatically'opened and closed "b'ytfhe 'metilianism4 constituting the present in-25 fve'tion'and hereinafter fully described.

The-mechanism-cornprises'a tread rail or plate lfprferably formed with 'an upper channeled si'de'toaccommodatethe tired wheel 'offa vehicle f an'd this frail or'v plate is disposed to extend for# "-30 "fwar'dlyfand 'rearvvztrdlywithv relation to the `do`or lA atone'isid'eof 'the doorway orirameB so that the vehiclewhenftraclingfthe'rail or plate can i-makeentryforl eXit vto andfrom anfenclosure as "guarded byth'e 'dooron the openingof'the latter."''35 )Thei'r-ailfr 'platahas pivot ears I I xedto a horizontallyfdisposed turning lshaft or pivot pin tiefIf2journaledinbearingsI`3, these being suit- -atyixedl or stationarily mounted atta foundation '-ff-anfenciosure orfofairadbed Isothat the said40 -"railfdrlpllte I-"ll'v is vertically movable for swinging action.

Arranged inwardly of theidoor'A cls'ethereto vhand. fixe'dlyf'supportedfare overhead brackets I 4 @land.1I5,.`respectively, thelatter carrying a siriglef45 pulley I6 while the bracket I4 is equipped with double pulleys Il, all of which have trained thereover a cable including the reversely traveling upper and lower stretches I8 and I9, these being adapted for reverse Winding on a winch or 50 windlass 2B, its axle 2| being journaled in suitable bearings 22 while reversely wound upon this axle is a weight cable 23 this being adapted for. winding and unwinding on a drum 24 and an actuator cable 25 which is adapted for winding 55 and unwinding on the axle 2l and is connected with an arm 26 xed to and extended from the rail or plate l0. With the upper stretch I8 of the cable trained over the pulleys `I6 and l1 is engaged an anchoring arm 21, this being carried by the door near the lead edge thereof and at the inner face of the same. Now it will be apparent that when the cable including the stretches I8 and I9 is operated the door A if opened will close and if closed will open, the opening of the door being automatically effected by pressure upon the rail or plate l while the closing of the door is accomplished by a weight 28 carried by the weight cable 23 on relieving pressure from the rail or plate I0. Y

Fore and aft of the rail or plate Ill are hinged depressing triggers 29, these resting upon extension ears 3B on the rail or plate l0 so that when a vehicle wheel rides upon either trigger 29 and onto the rail or plate l0 the latter will be actuated for operating the cable including the stretches I8 and I9 and on actuation of this rail Y or plate I0 the door which is normally closed will be automatically opened, there being provided on the door A a stop 3| which limits the closing movement thereof. The door A is susceptible of the automatic opening thereof from either side of the same due to the disposition of the rail or plate IU and the triggers 29 cooperating therewith, these being beyond opposite sides of the door and onto which travels the vehicle wheel when making an approach to the door.

In Figures 7 and 8 of the drawings there is shown a slight modification, wherein the door 32 is of the flexible overhead sliding kind operating in suitable trackways 33 and with-which the mechanism hereinbefore described is associated for the automatic opening and closing thereof.

In Figures 9 and 10 of the drawings there is shown a further modication, wherein the doors 34 are of the horizontally swinging duplex type and these have pivotally connected thereto the links 35 which also have a pivotal connection with the upper and lower stretches 36 and 3T, respectively, of the cable 38, these stretches traveling reversely to each other and by such travel the doors will be automatically opened and closed. The cable 38 is actuated by the rail or plate 39 similarly to the working of the rail or plate I0 so that by imparting motion toy the cable 38 the reversely trained stretches 36 and 31 thereof will automatically actuate the links 35 and thus the doors 34 will open and close automatically.

On the cable 38 is a suitable weight 40, this being necessary to the proper working of the mechanism when the mechanism is employed for use on doors in homes or other places.

It is to be understood that the device or mechanism in its use is not limited to doors, gates or the like, which are opened by the weight of an Y automobile as such mechanism or device can be operated by the weight of a person.

What is claimed is:

1. The combination with a doorway frame and a movable door, gate or the like, of a vtraveling cable having reversely movable stretches and having connection with the door, gate or the like, a normally raised laterally inclined depressible rail extending through the doorway to opposite sides and having an upper channel for guiding a vehicle wheel, means for imparting travel to the cable, a weighted cable coacting with said means and connected with said rail, and triggers arranged at opposite ends of the rail for guiding the vehicle wheel into the channels of the rail from either side of the doorway and initially depressing the said rail by pressure from said wheel.

2. The combination with a doorway frame and a movable door, gate or the like, of a traveling cable having reversely movable stretches and having'connection with the door, gate or the like, a normally raised laterally inclined depressible rail extending through the doorway to opposite sides and having an Vupper channel for guiding a vehicle wheel, means for imparting'travel to the cable, a weighted cable coacting with said means and connected with said rail, triggers arranged at opposite ends of the rail for guiding the vehicle wheel into the channels of the rail from either side of the doorway and initially depressing the said rail by pressure from said wheel, and extensions at opposite ends of the rail and forming bearings for said triggers.

3. The combination with a doorway frame and a movable door, gate or the like, of a traveling cable having reversely movable stretches and having connection with the door, gate or the like, a normally raised laterally inclined depressible rail extending through the doorway to opposite,

sides and .having an upper channel for guiding avehicle wheel, means for imparting travel to the cable, a weighted cable coacting with said Y means and connected with said rail, triggers arranged at .opposite ends of the rail for guiding the Vehicle wheel into the channels of the rail from either side of the doorway and initially depressing the said rail by pressure from said wheel, extensions at opposite ends of the rail and forming bearings for said triggers, and overhead hanger and guide means for said traveling cable. 4. The combination with a doorway-frame and a movable door, gate or the like, of a traveling cable having reversely movable stretches and having connection with the door, gate or the like, a normally raised laterally inclined depressible rail extending through the doorway to opposite sides and having an upper channel for .guiding a vehicle wheel, means for imparting travel tothe cable, a weighted cable coacting with said means and connected with said rail, triggers arranged at opposite ends of the rail for guiding the vehicle wheel into the channels of the rail from either side of the doorway and initially depressing the said rail by pressure from said wheel, extensions at opposite ends of the rail and forming bearings for said triggers, overhead hanger and guide means for said traveling cable, and a pivotal mounting for said rail.

WILLIAM C. EDWARDS. 

